PS3 shooting victim is unemployed eBay profiteer
A few weeks ago, gamers across the country were shocked at the devotion of a Connecticut man who was shot and hospitalized during his wait for the PS3. Such a man must be extremely devoted to video games to risk his life for the latest next-gen system, right?
Wrong. A follow-up article by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reveals that 21-year-old Michael Penkala was waiting "not because he's a fan of the popular game system but because he saw a business opportunity." The unemployed Penkala, whose "only means of income at the moment is selling T-shirts, Beanie Babies and New England Patriots plush toys on his front lawn," was carrying $2,600 in cash to purchase four PS3s to resell on eBay (with the help of three friends waiting in line).
What's more, after being shot by the fleeing would-be robbers, Penkala's first instinct was to make sure his friends got the money to purchase the systems. "For some reason I wasn't thinking about my wound, I was all about those PlayStations," Penkala is quoted as saying.
The eBay proceeds from the four PS3s Penkala eventually picked up likely won't cover the hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care costs for the uninsured Penkala. Despite this, Penkala rejected the idea of pimping out his auctions as "the system he got shot for." Classy.
[Thanks Avias]
